ART. XL. Urfprung, &c. i, e. On the Nature and Progrefs of Science, of Writing, and of a Sacred Language among the first Inhabitants of the World. or, an Explication of the Fables and obfcure Tradition's concerning Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jofeph, and Mofes, defigned to illuftrate feveral important Symbols, and myfterious Doctrines, both of ancient and modern Times. 8vo. BreЛlau. 1786. THE HE difcoveries made by the learned Author, in this inveftigation, do not seem to repay the labour and erudition they have coft him, by their merit and importance. He points out to us, indeed, certain epochas, in which ancient hiftorical records were fymbolically interpreted; but he does not carry us back to the fource, nor fhew us how they were understood by thofe from whofe primitive relations they were tranfmitted down from age to age. He throws, it is true, fome new rays of critical light upon the Kabaliftic fables; and this will be probably confidered as the moft interefling part of his work, at least by the philologifts. ART. XLI. GEORGII RUDOLPHI BOHMERI Commentatio Phyfico-botanica de Plantarum Semine, i. e. A Phyfico-botanical Differtation concerning the Seed of Plants. By M. Geo. R. BOHMER. Wittemberg. 1785. 8vo. . ALL that has been faid by ancient and modern authors on the fubject here announced, is compendiously contained in the compals of 390 pages of this judicious work. We fay judicious; for M. BOHMER is not one of thofe compilers and bookmakers, who need no more than a pair of fciffars to furnish us with heavy, voluminous, folio publications. He compares, appreciates, and often rectifies the obfervations of the authors which he has here collected concerning the germination and duration of feed, the manner of augmenting their fecundity, and many other objects relative to this branch of botany and natural history. He has alfo fubjoined to this work, a curious Differtation concerning the cellular tiffue of vegetables. ART. XLII. Avis au Public, i. e. An Advertisement addreffed to the Public. By M. PALLAS, Member of the Imperial Academy of Petersburg. 1786. THIS HIS eminent Naturalift, already fo well known by his celebrated voyages and learned publications, announces here a vaft and arduous defign conceived by the Emprefs of Ruffia, the execution of which is undertaken by her order. illuftrious Princefs is always aiming at great things. Her plans of empire, of commerce, of civilization, and literary improvement, This ment, are all formed upon a grand fcale. She has extended her dominions from the Frozen Ocean to the borders of the Euxine, and feems to ftand there on her tiptoe, ready to step over to the other fide. How many languages are spoken under her fceptre ? This question brings us to the fubject of M. Pallas's advertisement, which is the publication of an Univerfal and comparative Gloffary of all Languages, under the auspicious protection and encouragement of CATHARINE II. The Ruffian empire can reckon within its boundaries above a third of the languages that are spoken on the furface of our globe, and a great number, with which even the learned are hitherto unacquainted. Within the narrow district of Caucafus, which is inhabited by feveral fmall nations, eight or nine languages, and twenty two dialects, are fpoken. In Siberia, the languages and dialects are ftill more numerous, and Kamfchatka furnishes nine dialects of three different languages. Those who are charged with the execution of this immenfe plan have begun their work, and the languages and idioms of the Ruffian empire are the first objects of their inquiries. Among other things, we are told that the true pronunciation of the words will be indicated and expreffed in this gloffary, with the utmost accuracy and certainty (which is no eafy matter), and that a preliminary difcourfe concerning the languages, and their filiations, analogies, and affinities, will be prefixed to this GREAT WORK. Natur-Hiftoriche Briefe, &c. i. e. Letters concerning the Natural Hiftory of Auftria, Saltzburg, Paffau, and the adjacent Provinces. By M. PAUL SCHRANK. 2 Vols. 8vo. 1785. THESE HESE letters are agreeably written, and contain excellent obfervations on the natural productions and riches of countries little known, even with respect to the manners and cuftoms of their inhabitants. ART. XLIV. Uber de enftehung des Nordlichts, &c. i. e. Concerning the Origin of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. By M. J. ANTHONY CRAMER, Profeffor of Mathematics in the Ducal College of Hildefheim. 8vo. Bremen. 1786. IT T is in the phlogifton, collected about the pole, that M. CRAMER thinks he has perceived the true caufe of the Aurora Borealis; of which he explains all the phenomena in, at least, a probable manner, on this principle. INDEX IN DE X To the REMARKABLE PASSAGES in this Volume. N. B. To find any particular Book, or Pamphlet, fee the Table of Contents, prefixed to the Volume. ABfraction, in metaphyfics, what, 333. Achard, M. his exper. on air, water, &c. 482. On the property of rotten wood fhining in the dark, 484. Acid, acetous, directions for obtaining, 448. Component parts of, 449. Nitrous, 450. On the action of phofphoric acid upon oils, and the combination of, with fpirit of vitriol, 497. Nitrous, capable of diffolving gold, 508. Acids. See Bertbellet. Agaric, of the oak, fome account of, 507. Agaricus conicus, poisonous effects of, 535. Aikin, Dr. his remarks on the different fuccefs, with respect to health, of fome attempts to pass the winter in high northern latitudes, 252. Air, fixable, acetous, acid, &c. theory of, 450. Experiments relative to air, by M. Achard, 482. Other exper. 483. On the combination of nitrous with refpirable air, 501. Affinity of pure air with fire, 518. Air Balloon. See Baldwin. See Jeffries. See Monnier. America, her treaty with Pruffia, clauses in, replete with uncommon benevolence and philanthropy, 309. Anatomy, abftract of the hiftory of that fcience, 325 Anderdon, Mr. his experiments on grow ing turnips and beans, together, in alternate rows, 170. Antrim, coaft of, its natural, &c. curiofi. ties, 278. Remarkable ancient colliery difcovered there, 279. Giant's causeway, 280. Arbaleftrier, Chev. on the cure of the venereal disease, by a plant growing in Canada, 535. Aræteus, account of, and of his writings, 101. His treatife on acute and chronic diseases tranflated from the Greek, ib, APP, Rev, Vol. LXXV, Editions and translations of this Author, 102, the note. Ariftotle, character of, and of his writings, 10. Arithmetic, invention for enabling blind perfons to perform operations in, 422. Arts, the affinity between the feveral kinds of, confidered, 344. Aurance on lives, the Equitable Society for, recommended, 405. Aftori, M. his inventions and improvements with respect to the art of encauftic painting, 540. Attraction of cohefion, an experiment rela❤ tive to, 406. Aufavre, M. on miliary fevers, 537. Aurora Borealis, caufed by the phlogiston collected about the pole, 576. Baldwin, Mr. his entertaining account of his very fuccessful experim, in an aeroftatic machine, 218. Bark, Peruvian, inquiry into the nature and qualities of the red, 483. Barnes, Dr. his rem. on education, 254, On the nature of poetry, 343. On the affinity between the Arts, 344. On the pleasure which the mind receives from contemplating fcenes of diftrefs, 347. On the influence of the imagination and paffions on the understanding, 408. On the voluntary power of the mind over bodily fenfation, 415. Bartley, Mr. his experiments on the culture of buck wheat, 172. Beauties, of Authors, the prefent rage for extracting them ridiculed, 42. Beauty, apoftrophe to, after death, 369. Beguelin, M. mem. by, on the barometer, &c. 485. Bell, Dr. Memoirs of, 415. Bernoulli, M. his correfpondence, 481. His account of the Georgium Sidus, ib. PP Bertbollet, Butbollit, M. on the augmentation of Beryl, obfervations on that ftone, 497. Bogle, Mr. recommends the practice of Borelli, Mr. his mem. on certain para- colony, 475. The island of Tristan da Britons, ancient, remarks on their landed Brogny, cardinal, his low origin, 360. of, 515. Buck rubeat, itt ufes in husbandry, 172. Bull, Mr. John, his exper. on fowing Bush-vetch, a plant not fufficiently noticed Cattle, horned, exper. relative to a disease Chais, M. Charles, his excellent character, a cataract, accompanied with a diffolu- City genius poetically defcribed, 312. Cloacina, Goddefs, the mephitic vapours Colonies, and fettlements of European na Copper Veffels, &c. exper. on the danger of using them in pharmaceutical and Corn, in what manner hurtfully affected Cotbenius, M. his inquiry into the nature and qualities of the red quinquina, 483. Cotter's Saturday-night, a Scottish poem, Cadavalader, the Welsh prince, his fu- Cow, obf. rel. to the nat. hift. of, 410. perftitious weakness, z. Cancers, cured by eating lizarde, in New Canterbury, account of the three archiepif- copal hofpitals at or near that city, 23. Carrier, by fea and by land, how far an- Cattle, beep, &c. remarks on the different- Crimes, and punishments, obf. rel. to, 413. Curl, a disease among potatoes, observ, on, Currie, Dr. his memoirs of Dr. Bell, 414. Daubenton, M. his obf. on a large bone found in the earth at Paris, 494. Denina, Abbé, on the caufes of the diver- Doucet, Doucet, Dr. his method of curing a ter- Earth, thoughts on its original forma- tion and component parts, 13. Pro- Eaft India Company, their fhipping invef- Education, obfervations on, 254. Edwards, Dr. his illuftrations of Xeno- Egypt, fome account of, 298. Pyramids, Elaftic ftone. See Gerbard. Electricity, obf. on the different methods curious zoophytes, ib. Encaustic painting, with wax, method of Epidemic difeafes, curious mem. rel. to, by FAlconer, Dr. his rem, on the knowledge of the ancients, 256. Inquiry into which raged in France, 532. Succeff- Fire, elementary nature of, 463. Its af- Fixlmillner, M. his acc. of the planet re Franklin, Dr. B. his letter on the different Furnaces, portable. See More. GAberlunzie-man, an ancient Scotti Galen, the prince of anatomifts, 324. Gentil, M. le, on the origin of the zodiac, Gerhard, M. his account of the properties Girod, Dr, on abuses in the practice of Godart, M. on the origin of the bodies of Gold, faid to be really diffoluble in the Grange, M. de la, mathematical papers by, Greeks, ancient, accountof them, in privatę Green, method of preparing a new kind of Greenland, obferv. on the health of perfons All, Mr. his attempt to fhew that a tafte for the beauties of nature, &c, effects of the mephitic vapour arifing Harriot, Mr. his method of inclofing |